Maryville College Athletic Director becomes a full-time position
After years of mulling over the decision, Maryville College has made the choice to implement a new leadership model for athletics.
Athletics are an essential component of student life here at Maryville College. Student-athletes make up approximately 30% of the student body population on campus.
Many Division III teams are structured with a full-time athletic director who can focus on external relationship building, partnering across campus, fundraising, matters of compliance, and what occurs on the fields and courts. As a result, Maryville is deciding to adopt that same leadership model.
“When we have full-time directors overseeing other programs across campus, it makes sense to enhance the reach of an athletics director to full-time,” said Dr. Melanie Tucker, the vice president and dean of students of Maryville College, who serves as the college’s athletic direct report.
In 2008, the head coach of the volleyball team, Kandis Schramm, added athletic director to her list of job titles. In her 12 years at the helm, Schram has established men’s and women’s golf as varsity sports, oversaw many facility renovations and helped Maryville College obtain full sports membership in the USA South Athletic Conference.
“I am proud that the majority of our sport programs have experienced a championship in my tenure,” Schram said. “We have added staff, programs, improved facilities and competed at a very high level. It is the opportunity to be pushed both academically and athletically that is truly special about Maryville College.”
Schram will complete her term as athletic director on Nov. 30 and will return to coaching volleyball full time. Schram is entering her 35th year as the Head Volleyball Coach and the seventh-winningest Division III coach of all time with 791 career wins. Schram is ranked second nationally among active NCAA Division III volleyball coaches.
The current Associate Athletic Director, Sara Quatrocky, will take over as full-time interim athletic director on Dec. 1. Quatrocky will be tasked with building upon existing strengths within MC athletics and providing forward thinking leadership amidst the pandemic.
“Having an athletics director who can fully and solely focus on the depth and breadth of athletics at Maryville College can positively impact future endeavors of the College,” Tucker said.
This new leadership model will be very beneficial to the college. It will put Maryville on a similar playing field as many other Division III institutions. It will also strategically position the college for the future and raise the school’s institutional profile.
“A full-time athletic director will strengthen the success of our programs through such efforts as strengthening our ability to identify and address strategic priorities, more fully seeking opportunities to partner within the USA South Conference and within the community and streamlining and coordinating our recruiting efforts across teams and with Admissions,” Tucker said.
Maryville College does a successful job of providing student-athletes a platform to strive for excellence. The move to a full-time Athletic Director will benefit the school, teams, and athletes.